


Artifice (Ingenuity)

by Brrng



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, F/F, Floriography, Fluff, High School, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-07 14:15:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21459385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brrng/pseuds/Brrng
Summary: Your name is Rose Lalonde, you are 17 years old as of last month, and you are going to ask Jade Harley out on a date before you graduate.Assuming you can ever work up the courage, that is.
Relationships: Jade Harley/Rose Lalonde
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Artifice (Ingenuity)

**Author's Note:**

> started this in 2016 as an excuse to use what i'd picked up looking over flower language sites instead of listening to biology lectures. glad to see i'm finally getting some use out of it lol
> 
> thanks to michael for lookin this over!

"Rose," she says, "there are seven possible mistakes you could be making here and you've already made, like, twelve."  
  
"Jade," you say, "you, of all people, should know that I endeavor to fuck up as often and in as many ways as possible."  
  
She grins at that, then dramatically huffs and points down towards the patch of newly-planted flowers outside of your house. The front yard has been covered in a fine layer of dark brown dirt, with empty Home Depot flower pots scattered across your lawn. It looks a little like the aftermath of a battle, if the battle involved getting dirt under your fingernails and digging up a chunk of your lawn.  
  
The flowers themselves are purplish and the tags on their pots call them asters. You've mixed them with stubby plants in a tasteful dark green, clustered together in what you saw as an interesting placement that could or could not resemble a summoning sigil depending on how you look at it. Jade appears to disagree.  
  
"You can't plant these so close together! They'll get stressed out, or bugs will get everywhere and eat them, or the roots will rot! They'll _die_." She puffs out her cheeks and puts her hands on her hips, looking severe in a childish sort of way. "Do you want to be responsible for the deaths of a bunch of flowers?"  
  
"Whatever would I do with such a blight on my conscience," you say.  
  
"Probably something terrible," she laughs, and then she's bending down and digging up flowers and carefully shuffling them around.  
  
You are definitely doing something terrible as you watch, which is to say that you are watching her and not helping (strike one). And by "watching her" you mean you are looking at her hands, and the shape of her nose, and the way her skirt hangs around her legs. And then back to her hands in a quick, furtive motion, because as gay as you are you don't really need to write it out in neon letters (strike two, holy shit Rose, staring at girls and looking lovestruck is not a great thing to do when they're straight!). And that is, of course, strike three: you, Rose Lalonde, are crushing, like, _super_ hard on a straight girl.  
  
Probably straight? Your eyes trace the outline of Jade's hair and the hard frames of her glasses and you purse your lips. There's no way a girl like Jade could possibly be straight, but then again, a girl like Jade does excel in proving everyone else wrong. Something that you find very attractive, for the record, but less so since it's making a mess of your puppy crush.  
  
"Rose," says Jade, looking back at you as you carefully school your expression into something bored and vaguely neutral. "I know what you're thinking."  
  
You raise an eyebrow. "Oh?"  
  
"Yeah. You are NOT going to hold funerals for all the would-be dead flowers!" She wags a finger at you and frowns.  
  
"Was I that obvious?" you say, sighing and pressing a hand to your cheek, attempting to project misery. "I had it all planned out. Your dear cousin to play the organ, individual caskets - appropriately sized, of course - for each departed petal; I'm sure I could convince my mother that buying out a church for the day would be a good use of her many, many dollars."  
  
"Wow!" Jade says with a wide grin. "I hate all of that! Good job, Rose, now I have to take all of these as far away from you as I can so that you can do none of that, because it sucks."  
  
You feign hurt in an appropriately dramatic fashion, clapping a hand to your chest and gasping as if scandalized, and she sticks her tongue out at you. It's hopelessly childish and endearing and it makes your heart do something anatomically impossible.  
  
She keeps working, humming something that sounds vaguely like the Squiddles theme song, and you sigh before joining her. You're not much for hands-on work, but if you don't keep trying, then Jade will do everything perfectly. If she does it perfectly, she'll go home early, and you'll be left alone with a new garden and no cute girls, and that is a tragedy that simply cannot come to pass.  
  
You sneak glances at her as you plant and replant the flowers, slowly coming to a decision years in the making, something that settles in under your skin like a flower bulb in the soil.  
  
Your name is Rose Lalonde, you are 17 years old as of last month, and you are going to ask Jade Harley out on a date before you graduate.  
  
Assuming you can ever work up the courage, that is.  
  
==>  
  
January-turning-February isn't necessarily a terrible time to plant flowers. Some of the hardier ones can survive the chill with no ill effects; your chosen plants, however, aren't quite up to snuff. Jade comes over two weeks after planting to uproot them and bring them to her greenhouse, ready to nurse them back to life until you're able to treat them properly.  
  
As she pulls up in her grandpa's beaten-up two-seater truck, you ask, "Did you know this would happen?"  
  
"Yeah," she says, shrugging as she puts on her gloves.  
  
"What remarkable foresight," you say, almost bitterly. It stings a little to know that she knew this was doomed from the start and let you do it anyway.  
  
She grins and winks at you, somehow managing to smooth over your sharp edges with just a look. "Maybe I just wanted to see you again, huh?"  
  
==>  
  
Valentine's Day comes and makes itself at home on your calendar, an unfortunate reminder that you're unlucky enough to have three tests and an essay all on the same (holi)day. None of it makes you feel very romantic; the essay was on _The Grapes of Wrath_ and your stats test made you want to stab something. It doesn't help that the only person you'd want to associate yourself with on a day such as this lives half an hour away and you don't drive. How are you supposed to play Romeo to her Juliet and brandish your namesake at her if she's too far away?  
  
You console yourself by texting her all through lunch, munching away at shitty cafeteria pizza you can't really taste. Your friends have abandoned you in favor of going to Dave's photography club; you'd have joined them if the teacher hadn't banned you from her classroom on the grounds of making her TA cry. At least Jade's vivid descriptions of the mess Bec made while she was out for groceries are entertaining.  
  
GG: well  
GG: ive done a lot of talking!  
TT: You have. I've enjoyed reading it.  
TT: I live vicariously through your tales of doggy despair, savoring each individual word.  
GG: haha  
GG: well i dont know if id savor the part where he ripped up my pillows  
GG: pillow stuffing tastes really bad!  
TT: Do you speak from experience?  
GG: X(  
GG: whatve you been up to? besides listening to me ramble about bec  
  
You take a picture of the cafeteria and send it to her in lieu of an answer.  
  
GG: rose, is that a person in a heart costume  
TT: Yes.  
TT: It's anatomically incorrect and singing cheesy love songs to those unfortunate enough to be noticed, which seems to be exclusively those on the cheerleading squad.  
TT: I think it's one of the football players. That would explain their peculiar taste for short skirts and pompoms.  
GG: thats so fun!! ugh i hate being homeschooled when things like this happen :(  
GG: i want to have a weird heart sing at me!  
TT: If it's any consolation, I'll film them and send you the video.  
GG: yes! hehe  
TT: Alright. One moment.  
GG: woohoo!!  
GG: oh hey rose i have a question!!  
GG: and yes i know youre being really sweet and sending me a video of a funny person dressed as a heart and thats probably taking up all of your attention!  
GG: im not trying to distract you from whats obviously SUPER IMPORTANT  
GG: buuuuuut  
GG: hey rose  
GG: roooose  
TT: Hm?  
GG: be my valentine :O  
  
The ambient noises of the cafeteria fade away as her words sink in. There's some part of you doubting that she meant it, or that it's not some lighthearted thing with no real meaning behind it; the rest of you is caught up in some sort of giddy rush. Not that you've ever looked _giddy_ in your life, of course, but if you were to start, now would be the time.  
  
After the initial shock wears off, you decide to bite the bullet. It's not quite confessing, and it'd be rude to leave her hanging, wouldn't it?  
  
TT: Of course I will.  
GG: hell yeah!  
GG: i dont think ive ever had a valentine before  
TT: Well, then allow me to be the best you've ever had, if only by default.  
GG: aww i think youd be the best regardless  
TT: Flatterer.  
GG: ;)  
  
The bell rings and startles you out of the pleasant haze of _holy shit, your crush asked you to be her valentine_. It's unwelcome, but at the very least you have two classes left and then you're home free. 

You start the long walk to the music room, mulling over whether or not to do anything for your new valentine. It's entirely possible to cobble something together in a few hours, given that you have orchestra and creative writing back to back; if you manage to get anything done in either class, it'll be a miracle. And that... gives you an idea.

As unromantic as your day has been so far, you think you can change that with a few lines of cheesy poetry and the melody to _I Will Always Love You_, as performed on your old, perpetually flat violin. It's easy enough to find the sheet music for it online. You could bring home the good one from school, but... where's the fun in that?  
  
On second thought, you'll skip the poetry. You're as likely to make a fool out of yourself as you are to let slip how you've been pining from afar if you write something. You really don't know if you're ready for that conversation. At least out of tune love songs will be ironic enough to protect your true feelings, despite how much the thought makes you feel like Dave.  
  
TT: Unfortunately, I have to get back to class.  
GG: aw  
TT: Would you like to call when I get home?  
GG: yeah!  
TT: Great. I'll talk to you later, Jade.  
GG: see ya, valentine ;D  
  
==>  
  
Clematis, also called leather flower, or bluebill: a member of the buttercup family with blooms that grow on vines of up to 10 feet in length. _Allflorists.co.uk_ lists its floriographical meaning as "artifice (ingenuity)" and _clematis.com_ offers them for an average of $14.  
  
It comes in a lovely shade of purple, the idea of a flower made of leather is intriguing, and - well, who are you kidding? There is only one girl that comes to mind upon reading words like _artifice_ and _ingenuity_ and your garden is a testament to your crush on her.  
  
_Allflorists_ also lists lavender as meaning "loyalty, love, devotion" and purple lilacs as "first emotion of love". Understandably, these plants don't appear on _clematis_. More importantly, they all come in varying shades of purple. You do have an appearance to maintain, after all.  
  
You hesitate, your cursor hovering over _add to cart_, and then you call up John to drive you to Home Depot for the second time in as many months.  
  
==>  
  
March is as good a time as any to plant your collected bounty, which takes two more visits to Home Depot, one to Lowe's, and a third to a nursery you weren't aware existed until you were in the parking lot. You get all three of your chosen purple flowers with only a little trouble, easily dodging the question every time John (your chauffeur for this endeavor) tries to ask what you want with a bunch of flowers.  
  
"Like, are you trying to do magic or something?" he asks over burgers, scrunching up his face and ignoring the sauce dripping down his fingers. "Or poison? Oh, shit, Rose are you making magic poison?"  
  
"If I was," you say, popping the lid off your milkshake and dipping a fry into it, "would I tell you? Be reasonable, John. Accomplices make things messy."  
  
He considers this for a moment. "Well, okay. That's fair. But what about side kicks? Aren't they like accomplices?"  
  
You dip another fry into your milkshake. "Wrong genre."  
  
He starts to respond, then makes a disgusted sound and points an accusing finger at your milkshake. "I hate when you do that. That's a crime against humanity, and also nature, and probably some god out there. One of milkshakes and not putting potatoes into them."  
  
"If I'm as evil a witch as you're trying to make me out to be," you point out, "then that's perfectly alright, don't you think?"  
  
"Ugh. Fine! Fine, you win this one, witch." You grin at him and he laughs, then looks thoughtful and asks, "Is there a god of milkshakes? That seems kind of specific."  
  
"If there is, then they certainly wouldn't care about my taste in eating utensils. French fries were meant to go in milkshakes, John. Embrace it."  
  
He bemoans your bad taste the whole drive home, though he's kind enough to help you unload the flowers from the backseat of his car and line them up in a messy row.  
  
You send him off with a promise to be online later, then pull out your phone and do your best to get all of the plants in frame and send a picture off to Jade.  
  
GG: what!!!  
GG: rose oh wow  
GG: theyre really pretty  
TT: I'm thinking I'd like to try again. The garden is awfully bare, and the season seems more agreeable now, don't you think?  
GG: yes!!  
GG: i can bring your asters back tomorrow if you want  
TT: Sure. Would you be interested in sticking around to help me replant them?  
GG: yes!  
GG: its a date  
  
You can feel your heart stutter to a stop, and it takes great force of will to not throw your phone through the window in a gay panic.  
  
==>  
  
Your trusty _allflorists.co.uk_ lists asters as a "symbol of love". So does _almanac.com_'s page on flower meanings and _thelanguageofflowers.com_.  
  
You have no idea if it's a hint of returned feelings that the pretty purple flower Jade helped you pick out means something of the sort or if it's just wishful thinking.  
  
All three sites also list asters as meaning "daintiness". You've never been very dainty.  
  
One for two isn't bad, you suppose. At the very least, it makes for an interesting metaphor.  
  
==>  
  
Jade arrives with your rescued asters in the back of her truck and some bits and pieces of other plants from her greenhouse to, in her words, "spice it up".  
  
"It hardly needs spicing," you say, faintly amused, "but thank you."  
  
"Gotta make this garden soup taste good!" she chirps, getting to work unloading the plants as if she hadn't just said something that made no sense at all.  
  
The patterns you form don't have nearly as much occult significance as before, but that's alright. The lavender is lovely all the same, and it's worth it to watch Jade's face as she considers the placement of one particular bunch of asters. This way - no, a little to the left - yes, perfect.  
  
She sticks out her tongue when she's thinking, just a bit, like a cat. It's adorable. When you get lost in thought, you tend to look frustrated.  
  
Together, you survey the garden: two tall wire frames you'd scavenged on either side for the clematis to grow on bookend the swirled pattern you've created with the rest of the flowers. You don't know if you've necessarily done a good job, but you feel hopelessly pleased with yourself nonetheless, and when you sneak a glance at Jade her smile makes it clear that she feels the same.

You'd really like her to stay longer.

Before you can think better of it, you ask, "Do you want to come inside? We can order a pizza, if you'd like. Watch a movie."  
  
She looks doubtful, and you try not to panic. "Don't you have school tomorrow? I don't want to keep you up too late..."

"Jade," you laugh, "it's Friday. I'll be dead in the dirt before I care about how late I stay up on a Friday night."  
  
Her face lights up and she laughs too, grabbing your hand and bouncing the whole way inside. Her enthusiasm is contagious and you find it hard not to smile like a fool.  
  
You bring your laptop downstairs and place your order, then pass it to Jade so she can find something to watch while you hook it up to the TV. As she browses your Netflix account (well, it's actually John's account, and you conveniently forget to log out), you grab a couple of blankets and something to drink.  
  
"Really?" you say, stopping behind the couch to watch a giant mech stomp through the ocean before coming face-to-face with a giant monster. "Didn't we watch Pacific Rim last week?"  
  
Jade grins at you, gesturing to the screen enthusiastically. "Two weeks ago, actually. You liked it last time! You didn't make snide comments even _once_, that's how much you liked it." You sigh, then drop one of the blankets on her head. "Hey!"  
  
"One's continued enjoyment of a film may be called into question if one is forced to watch it repeatedly," you say, setting the drinks down on the table. "Jade, do be careful. I think you're contracting John's bad-movie-itus."  
  
The pizza arrives, the movie plays despite Jade's protests that she's turning into John, and the night goes smoothly. You try and fail to work up the courage to hold her hand, or at least pretend you're yawning and end up with your arm over her shoulders. You know, the classics.  
  
The movie is over far too soon, but rather than queue up the sequel, Jade leans over and rests her head on your shoulder. You freeze, praying to every god you've ever heard of that she can't feel how tense and nervous you are, and carefully look down at her.  
  
"Do you mind if I spend the night? It's kind of late and I'm pretty tired, we did a lot of gardening!" She yawns, then tilts her head back a bit to meet your eyes. Are you imagining the puppy eyes? You're probably imagining that, but even so - it's hard to say no to her.  
  
"Of course you can," you say, once you've found your voice. You hope you aren't blushing. "You're always welcome here. I'll let my mother know."  
  
She smiles and her eyes flutter close. You can't bring yourself to move just yet to reach your phone or the remote, so instead you sit quietly and try to remember how to breathe.  
  
==>  
  
Clematis plants bloom at different times depending on variety: flowers bloom on new vines in the summer and old ones in the spring, or both in the event that you've procured a twice-blooming variety. (You did, if only because John had insisted; his exact words were, you believe, "go big or go home".)  
  
The other flowers bloom one after another. As March turns to April turns to May, your lilacs lose their color in favor of giving the lavender time to shine. The asters will get their chance, claims _almanac.com_, bringing up the rear in late summer.  
  
You idly wonder at the poetic nature of it all. The first love of a lilac turning to the devotion of lavender is the sort of symbolism you'd love to pick apart had it occurred in a dream; you do it to Dave often enough, though you don't find nearly as many pretty metaphors where he's involved.  
  
==>  
  
Jade has taken to spending the weekends going between your house and John's, enjoying time spent with family and friends. Dave complains once that he's feeling left out and only shuts up when she points out that he spends so much time with John, going all the way to his apartment would do little more than waste gas.  
  
Well, she phrases it more as "If I thought you were ever _actually_ at your house and not collapsed on John's couch, then maybe I would, nerd!"  
  
Your house shows the marks of Jade's frequent sleepovers: a near-permanent blanket fort upstairs, her favorite late-night snacks in the pantry, and a locked box for your journal in case she develops the urge to snoop through your private writings. You trust that Jade's not the kind of girl who'd poke through your diary, but you've done an awful lot of yearning between those pages and you'd rather it never see the light of day.  
  
The night before John's birthday is a momentous occasion: it is the last day before John turns 18 and marks the third night in a row Jade's spent at your house.  
  
You're holed up in the fort, a half-eaten bowl of popcorn nestled between pillows and a game of _Sorry!_ between you. Jade had excavated it from somewhere in her mess of a house and brought it with her, insisting that you play if only because she never had before. Far be it from you to deny her such simple pleasures, especially where games are involved.  
  
It's a game based more on luck than skill with rules a little complex for how simple it claims to be. Needless to say, you're kicking Jade's ass.  
  
"I'd say I'm sorry, as the name of the game implies," you say, gently knocking one of her pieces over as you pass it, "but honestly, I'm not."  
  
She groans and rescues her fallen pawn, moving it back to the starting dot. "Why are you good at this? This is the least Rose-like game I've ever seen."  
  
You glance up and grin at her. "Would it be easier to accept my impending victory if the game were themed? Perhaps if the pawns resembled tentacles, or if the board were painted with any number of amusing symbols."  
  
"Ugh, maybe." Jade glares at the board, scrunching up her nose, then says, "Hey, Rose. Truth or dare?"  
  
"Really?" you ask, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Really."  
  
You take a moment to consider this, looking wistfully at what was to be your win. "Truth."  
  
She grins back at you with more teeth than is generally considered polite. "Were you cheating?"  
  
"Not hardly." She pouts and you try to pretend that you pat her on the knee as some sort of consolation, not because you'd really like to hold her hand and this is the closest acceptable substitute. "Truth or dare, Jade?"  
  
"Truth."  
  
You take a moment, thinking back to every question you've ever had for her and discarding the obvious ones (_Do you like me? If I asked you out, would you say yes? Do you know that you keep showing up in my dreams and playing pranks that would make John weep tears of joy?_).  
  
"Alright," you say, "what was the _real_ reason you disappeared from the Halloween carnival last year? We both know it wasn't a robot emergency like you claimed."  
  
She has the grace to look embarrassed, quickly looking anywhere that isn't you. "It could have been," she protests. "Robot emergencies are really bad, Rose! You think everything's fine and then _whoops_ the robot's on fire!"  
  
"Smoldering robots are the worst," you agree, "but that doesn't answer my question."  
  
"_Ugh_." She pulls one of the pillows into her lap, displacing the popcorn, and buries her face into the plush. You wait, a little impatiently, until she lets out a long breath and lifts her head to look warily at you. "You remember, um. Do you remember that girl we met? By the cake walk?"  
  
That's not what you were expecting. "The one dressed as a witch or the one with the motorcycle?"  
  
"The one dressed as a witch." She pauses, her face starting to turn a little red, then sighs and says, "You remember I totally bailed on going into the haunted house with you guys 'cuz I was kind of scared? Yeah, um. Oh, stop looking at me like that, I'm getting to it! But, uh, she was waiting around for the hayride to start and we got talking and then..."  
  
"Jade Harley," you say, voice somewhere between reproachful and delighted. "Did you really?"  
  
"Ugh! No, I did not _really_, we just like, made out a little." She doesn't hide her face in the pillow again but her fingers twitch like she wants to.  
  
There are very few things that can surprise you these days. Getting hit by the double whammy of _Jade likes girls too_ and _the reason Jade left you alone to deal with a ghostbuster and the back half of a horse was because she was busy locking lips with someone she'd only just met_ is... a lot to take in all at once.  
  
"You're totally judging me for macking on a stranger," she says, pulling you out of your thoughts.  
  
"Not at all," you say, and she looks like she doesn't quite believe you. "Rather, I'm judging myself for not asking about it sooner."  
  
She looks confused and about ready to protest, so you cut her off by dramatically throwing your hand against your forehead and swaying to one side. "Think of all the gay jokes I could have made! Opportunities wasted and moments never to be recovered, all because I was under the delusion that my wittiness would all be for naught. So many puns-that-never-were... Jade, I'm simply aghast."  
  
There's a long moment of silence while Jade stares at you and you try your best not to let your expression falter, and then she giggle-snorts and claps a hand over her mouth.  
  
"Oh my god," she says, slightly muffled. "Rose, you _ass_."  
  
You grin at her, a little smug, and she throws popcorn at you in buttery retaliation.  
  
==>  
  
You spend your afternoons watching bees buzz around your blooming lavender bushes instead of working on your various end-of-year projects, preferring pollinating insects to six-page essays on the symbolism in _The Great Gatsby_ or the mountain of math problems you still haven't started.  
  
Lavender, genus _lavendula_. Its medicinal properties can aid restlessness or insomnia, while the flavors it produces are used in confectionaries and honey. Its aroma is well-known, and were you to poke around your bathroom long enough you're sure you'd find plenty of products that claim to replicate the scent.  
  
Jade shows up a couple times to do things like help you weed and prune the garden. Each time, she snips off a bit of lavender and tucks it behind your ear; each time, you hope that she attributes any rising color in your cheeks to sunstroke instead of a blush.  
  
==>  
  
Somewhere in May, you start to worry that you'll lose your nerve. You have a little less than a month before graduation and while the time you've spent with Jade has increased, so has a creeping sense of dread.  
  
Some part of you is relieved that you don't have to worry about whether or not she's into girls. The rest is undecided as to whether or not she'd be interested in _you_.  
  
You do homework only as a distraction from your current situation and less because you give a damn about your grades, but you can only do so many statistics problems before you want to scream.  
  
In your endless wisdom, you decided that talking to Dave about your problems was a good idea. You'll blame your questionable decision-making skills on being young, dumb, and in love.  
  
TG: just ask her out already goddamn  
TG: here let me lay it out for you  
TG: "hi jade, here are many words about tentacle monsters. lets go on a date."  
TG: "oh sure rose tell me all about your weird eldritch cuddlebuddies! hooray dates!"  
TT: How incredibly eloquent, Dave.  
TG: i know im amazing  
TG: really nailed the impressions there  
TT: It was as if I were looking into a mirror. A horribly cracked and dirty mirror, but a mirror nonetheless.  
TG: ill take that as a compliment  
TG: impressions aside im standin by what i said  
TG: just ask her  
TG: hell rose even if she says "nah lets just be friends!!! :D" youll have an answer  
TT: What if I prefer the uncertainty and the inherent possibility of not knowing?  
TG: who are you and what have you done with rose  
TG: when have you ever not wanted to know something  
TT: Admittedly, I realized my mistake as I sent it, but I'd already committed to it.  
TT: I just don't know.  
TT: Actually, now that you mention my unending thirst for knowledge...  
TG: aw shit here we go  
TT: I don't recall mentioning my crush to you.  
TG: oh  
TG: that was john  
TT: What.  
TG: not in so many words dudes a lil clueless sometimes  
TG: remember when we convinced him you were really from the moon and he believed you for like a week  
TG: haha classic john  
TT: Dave.  
TG: cmon let a guy do his exposition  
TG: you can appreciate a good intro cant you  
TT: I can, but I'd honestly rather not right now.  
TG: k thats fair  
TG: he was tellin me about that whole flowery shopping spree you went on  
TG: woulda chalked it up to some deep dive into witchcraft or something but i figure you would have mentioned that you were casting spells and drawing circles or whatever it is witches do  
TG: you sure as hell arent planting flowers to impress me or john  
TG: and gardening expert harleys been spending a lot of time with you lately  
TT: You are annoyingly observant at times.  
TG: thanks  
TG: so like  
TG: you gonna talk to her  
TT: Maybe.  
TG: i know you have like this giant problem saying what you mean unless its digging apart my delicate psyche but this is a bit much dont you think  
TT: I do not have a problem saying what I mean.  
TG: yes you do  
TG: this is an indisputable fact  
TG: the last time you told me something important with a straight face and no beating around the bush you were sleep deprived and had consumed enough sugar to make a child become a force of fucking nature  
TT: I don't tell you anything with a straight face.  
TG: oh no  
TG: rose dont do this to me  
TT: My face is always gay as hell.  
TG: UGH  
TG: fucking end me  
TT: Maybe later.  
TT: In an effort to prove you wrong about my ability to talk about my feelings:  
TT: Asking her out is more a matter of whether or not I lose my nerve before I'm able to get the words out, not saying it straight.  
TG: i could ask if you want  
TG: scope out her feelings on the topic of you  
TT: This is probably something I should do myself. Thank you for the offer, though.  
TT: I'll deal with it.  
TG: yknow rose most people dont "deal with" their crushes  
TG: they just like  
TG: crush on people  
TG: and hope theyre open to the idea of that being a mutual thing  
TT: Aliens like me don't do that. On the moon, we pine from afar until circumstance forces our hand.  
TG: fucking  
TG: cmon rose  
TG: like i dont wanna be that guy that forces you to fuckin confess to your crush if you dont want to  
TG: but it sounds like you want to  
TT: I do.  
TT: I really, really do.  
TG: alright problem solved  
TT: I think I'll tell her this week.  
TG: cool  
TG: go be gay with your ladycrush  
TT: I'll do my best.  
TT: Should I send you all the sordid details?  
TG: fuck no  
TG: i said be gay with jade not be mean to dave  
TT: I can multitask.  
  
==>  
  
Monday is spent daydreaming in class and putting off working on the essay that's due tomorrow.  
  
On Tuesday, it rains and you talk to Jade about anything _but_ crushes.  
  
During your American Lit class on Wednesday, Dave throws a balled-up note at your head. In scrawled red script, it reads _did you ask her yet?_ In response, you throw it back at him and refuse to acknowledge his presence until school's out.  
  
John comes over to help you with your biology project on Thursday and as such you're too busy doing Punnett squares to even think about talking to Jade.  
  
On Friday, you finally do it.  
  
==>  
  
It's been raining on and off all week, but that suits you just fine. The worst of the downpour has passed but there's enough water left in the clouds that block out the sky to provide a pleasant drizzle; you rather like the rain, but John complains the entire drive to your house.  
  
He only lets up when he pulls up in your driveway, and that's because Dave tosses his phone into John's lap with a request to queue up the next song. You hesitate with the door half-open, looking between them, but Dave hops out of the car and beckons you to follow.  
  
"I assume you had a good reason for subjecting yourself to John's poor taste in music," you say, closing the door behind you.  
  
"Taking one for the team." He shrugs, then tilts his shades down long enough to look you in the eyes. "You're still gonna tell Jade, right?"  
  
Your stomach twists unpleasantly. "I didn't realize you were trying to micromanage my love life."  
  
"This is basically free reality TV. Gotta get my kicks where I can, Rose." You frown and start to respond but he cuts you off with a shake of his head. "You said you wanted to ask her out. I'm trustin' that you haven't changed your mind, alright, and I'm not - hell, Rose, if you really like her then you should go for it."  
  
You can hear John's off-key singing from inside the car and feel a few stray raindrops sliding down the back of your neck. It's a strange backdrop for the conversation at hand and despite your anxiety, you have to stifle a laugh. "You really think so?"  
  
"Hell yeah."  
  
He smiles at you, something that feels horribly genuine, and you try to mimic the motion. You think it comes out a little more nervous than you'd like because he reaches over and kind of awkwardly pats you on the shoulder, then says, "If shit hits the fan I'll bully John into getting us ice cream and we can talk shit, 'kay?"  
  
Somehow, that's reassuring. "You are a true friend and confidante. What would I do without you?"  
  
"You'd probably do fine, but there'd be a lot less ice cream involved."  
  
As John hits an exceptionally high note, you try not to wince and say, "I suppose that's true. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go talk to a pretty girl about a date in potentia and you have a Ghostbusters remix to listen to."  
  
"The things I do for my friends," he groans, smile going a little crooked as he climbs back into the car.  
  
You watch them pull out of your driveway, waving them off like a ship departing from shore, then trudge upstairs. Your computer awaits; if you're to finally go through with asking Jade out, the first step is to not be standing outside in the rain.  
  
tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG]!  
  
TT: Hi, Jade.  
GG: hi!  
GG: oooh schools out huh?  
TT: Correct. We've all been released from the prison that is our high school education. Well, we have been for about an hour now but we needed time to rejoice in our newfound freedom.  
GG: lol  
GG: thats really good timing then  
GG: i was actually just about to head over there! i would have been there already but i kinda lost track of time  
TT: Too busy inventing a way to end world hunger?  
GG: ummm sure!  
TT: Or perhaps it was that you were watching cartoons with your grandfather?  
GG: :T  
GG: last season ended on a cliffhanger and we needed to see what happened ok!!  
TT: Oh, I understand completely. I wasn't trying to imply anything by asking.  
TT: Are you spending the weekend with us, then?  
GG: i hope so!  
TT: Delightful.  
TT: Hm.  
GG: hm?  
  
Well, it's now or never, isn't it? If you don't, you may never work up the courage to again, and Dave will be insufferable. Basing your decisions on how annoying dealing with your friends will be is never an effective method, but... he's right in this regard: you very badly want to tell her.  
  
TT: Forgive me for being blunt, but would you like to go out to dinner tonight?  
GG: sure!  
GG: but um  
GG: how was that blunt?  
TT: Admittedly I dropped the ball a bit. Let me rephrase.  
TT: I mean to say, would you like to go with me as a date?  
GG: OH  
  
There's a very, very long pause. Time crawls to a stop around you and the only thing you can focus on are the two little green letters on your screen. The _gardenGnostic is typing!_ message at the bottom of your screen starts and stops three times and you think to yourself, _why did I do this, this was clearly the worst idea in the world, why do I ever listen to Dave-_  
  
GG: yes??  
GG: of course i will!  
TT: Oh, my.  
TT: I'm... glad to hear that.  
GG: where do you wanna go? :o  
  
You did not think this far ahead. In mild panic, you google _good first date spots_ and immediately amend the search to _good first date spots restaurants_, hurriedly scrolling through the first list you find. What the hell is a good place to eat? It's Jade, so you don't have to make an incredible first impression, but also, it's _Jade_.  
  
As you skim through the list, you realize that you've only been to a couple of these. Usually when your mother's dragged you out to eat in what you used to call a semblance of domesticity and now think was just her trying to be nice.  
  
You're spending too long hemming and hawing over food. Jade is probably waiting for you to respond. Whatever your final choice is, you're sure it'll be fine, so you pick the first familiar-looking name on the list and tab back to Pesterchum.  
  
TT: How does Red Lobster sound? Around 6?  
GG: thats sounds fine!!  
GG: ill see you there ;)  
  
gardenGnostic [GG] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT]!  
  
You lean back in your chair and stare up at the ceiling in disbelief, unable to stop yourself from grinning.  
  
Holy shit. Holy _shit_.  
  
==>  
  
You arrive at Red Lobster twenty minutes early and wait around just inside the door, trying to clamp down on the worries trying to make themselves known. It's too fancy, she won't like it, you'll realize that she's just humoring you and-  
  
She walks inside and effectively stops all thoughts in their tracks.  
  
There's mud on her boots, you note absently, and smudges on her glasses where she must have wiped away raindrops. You feel a little overdressed next to her, even though you're half-again as fancily attired as the patrons at the nearest table. She is the prettiest girl in the room and you smile, something soft and real, before being led to your seats.  
  
Jade comments on the cheese biscuits as soon as she sits down, though _comment_ is perhaps too weak a word for how she says, "Oh my god, biscuits," and immediately shoves one in her mouth.  
  
The server isn't even done putting menus on the table. She's still the prettiest girl you've ever seen.  
  
You order your drinks and the server departs, leading to a few awkward minutes where you pretend to read and reread the entrée list while you sneak glances at her over your menu.  
  
"So," she says, breaking the silence and reaching for another biscuit. "Is this like a real first date where I pretend I don't know you and ask you a bunch of weird questions, or do you wanna hear about the dream I had last night?"  
  
"Oh, definitely the dream," you say, setting your menu down and leaning forwards a bit. "This entire night is a ruse specifically so that I can hear about what goes on in your subconscious."  
  
She laughs, then launches into a story that starts off very Indiana Jones, what with a secret volcanic temple and all, before it takes a sharp turn into being a space opera. You find yourself relaxing as the conversation goes on, the faint worry that this might be incredibly awkward fading away.  
  
It's no longer raining when you leave the restaurant, though the ground is still wet and the sun has already set. The streetlamps reflect in puddles across the parking lot and Jade endeavors to step in as many of them as she can on the way back to her truck.  
  
Instead of getting in the front to drive, Jade pulls back the tarp keeping the rain off the back and pulls the tailgate open. She clambers up onto it and drops down gracelessly, letting her feet swing off the edge as you carefully sit down next to her.  
  
You tip your head up to the sky and try to find the moon amidst the clouds, the faint sounds of cars passing by the only sign that you aren't alone. You're not sure how long you stay like that, but eventually you hear Jade quietly call your name.  
  
She's looking thoughtfully at you before asking, "Rose, why did you ask me out?" She must see the surprise in your expression because she hurries to say more before you can interrupt her. "Don't get me wrong! I'm really glad you did! But I'm... I guess I'm really asking, why now? Or..." She hesitates, searching for the words.  
  
"I..." you hesitate, too, and then laugh softly. "Why now? Because I've been trying to work up the courage to tell you that I liked you for months and this was... as good a time as any."  
  
"Months?"  
  
"Months. Since last December, at least, though it really took shape around the time you helped me plant my garden." You pause, then twist your mouth into a wry smile and say, "Honestly, I promised myself I'd tell you before we graduated."  
  
She elbows you with a grin. "You did! You've got like, what, a week? Two weeks?"  
  
"Three, but close enough. Though I'm not sure if I'd have made my deadline if Dave hadn't spoken up about it."  
  
She laughs at that and you watch the way the light plays across her face, then hesitantly reach for her hand. She flips her palm up when she realizes what you're doing, easily lacing your fingers together like they belong that way.  
  
"I think I've liked you since like, March," she announces, and you stare at her in disbelief.  
  
"Really?"  
  
She nods, then shrugs at the look you give her. "After Valentine's Day! No, wait, that's February." She pauses, then shakes her head like an etch-a-sketch as if to clear it. "Since February, then. When I asked you to be my valentine and you were all _I'll be the best one you've ever had!_ and then you played me that really cheesy song?"  
  
You can't help it; the first words out of your mouth are "Do I _really_ sound like that?" followed by "No, don't answer. I'd rather not know." You squeeze her hand as she laughs, loud and joyful, then say, "Yes, I remember that. I learned it in class specifically for the cheese factor."  
  
"You were attracting so many mice with your cheese," she agrees. "But it was really cute! And you got really into it for what seemed kind of like a joke and... _ugh_ this sounds so _mushy_."  
  
"It really does. That's alright, though." You bite your lip and glance at her, then say, "I think I like it. And you, if only by extension."  
  
She laughs again, swaying slightly in place as she kicks her feet before looking back at you. "Hey, Rose?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"I think I like you, too."

**Author's Note:**

> flower sites rose consults:  

> 
>   * [allflorists.co.uk](http://www.allflorists.co.uk/advice_flowerMeanings.asp)
>   * [clematis.com](http://clematis.com/)
>   * [almanac.com's page on flower meanings](https://www.almanac.com/content/flower-meanings-language-flowers)
>   * [thelanguageofflowers.com](http://thelanguageofflowers.com/)


End file.
